Pushed

Chapter 19

“Hey,Dad? Any idea where I could get a hold of some bull testicles?”

Dad, who was intensely focused on bookkeeping at his desk, dropped his pen and looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

“I mean, procure some. I don’t actually want to hold them. Ach! You know what I mean.” My hands gestured wildly as I tried to explain. “It’s for the restaurant.”

“You want to serve bull testicles?” His brows drawn together. He still obviously thought I was bonkers. “Not sure that’s the way to improve the menu or grow the business.”

“No, not for the restaurant. The gauntlet has been dropped between me and the chef. If I can bring them to her, she promises to cook them so good I’ll forget my own name. This seems like an easy bet, so I need to find some.”

This got a chuckle out of him. “You could ask Floyd Bellows.” He was an old cattle farmer down the road. “They wouldn’t be organic, but it’s probably your best bet locally.”

“Perfect. I’ll give Floyd a call.” A wide grin spread across my face and I snickered as I imagined Aurora, I mean Chef AJ, opening a delivery of a box of bull testicles.

“Hey Jasper,” Dad said, leaning back in his chair. “I’ve been thinking… now that you’re running the Moonstruck, maybe it would be helpful for you to take over some of the farm’s restaurant accounts so you can connect with the other restaurants in the area, and learn more about the farm-to-table business. If you think you have time to fit that in, I could let you handle our restaurant clients. It would probably be helpful to you.”

I smiled but tried to curb my amusement. Mom must have talked to him since I never got around to it. It cracked me up that he presented it as his idea, though. Not that it mattered how it came about, I’d take it. “Thanks, Dad. That would be really helpful. Just show me what you’ve been doing. I’ll take it from there. And I promise, I won’t let you down.”

“It’s not exactly rocket science, and I’ve kept good records of everything. I have no doubt you’ll be able to handle it.”

“So, why did you make such a stink when I asked to help?”

“Because I didn’t need your help. Still don’t. I can handle everything here just fine without you kids moving home to help me out. You’ve got your own lives. Rowan was the only one who was ever interested in working the farm, and he’s in New York.”

“True, but I won’t be working the farm, just the business. And that’s what I’ve been doing for years. Just like you. It’s what I’m good at.”

He patted me on the shoulder. “Someday you’ll understand, Jasper. When you’ve put your heart and soul into building something, it’s hard to let it go.” Dad was like Mr. Quince insisting on keeping the restaurant the same, even though it was failing. “But you’re not letting it go. You’re training the next generation to continue your legacy and keep it growing and thriving for the future. That’s good business.”

“I suppose.” That was the closest thing to an agreement I would get, but I counted it as a win. Dad showed me all the files and processes he used with the businesses who had contracts with the farm. It was pretty straightforward. I also had ideas to improve and streamline the systems, but I didn’t want to push Dad over the edge. Getting him to trust me with this was enough.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t push the boundaries a little. “Hey dad, what would you think if we carved QR codes into the ground, or in the field like crop circles, to advertise from above? It would have to be pretty large, so it could be seen by planes and helicopters flying over. But I think it could help us access a whole new demographic. What do you think?”

Dad’s eyes almost popped out of his head and his face turned red. His mouth opened to refute my idea, but nothing came out. I knew I had to stop him before he had a stroke.

“Just kidding, Dad. But you should have seen your expression. Priceless.”

He just shook his head and shooed me out of his office. I headed to my own makeshift office.

First order of business, I had a phone call to make. “Hello, Mr. Bellows. This is Jasper Rhodes. I have a proposition for you, and I’m hoping we can help each other out.”

“What can I do for you, Jasper?”

“I was wondering if you have any bulls that you’ll be castrating in the near future?”

“As a matter of fact, I have one young bull that’s been causing trouble, and was just telling my farmhand that we need to do something about him. Why do you ask?”

“How would you like a full meal for your family at the Moonstruck Steakhouse, on me, in exchange for your bull’s gonads?”

“I’d say you got yourself a deal. But why would you want that?”

“Let’s just say, it will settle a dispute and challenge someone who keeps upping the ante with me.”

“Alright, I won’t ask any more questions. I’ll be happy to help you out. We should be able to take care of that tomorrow. Will that work for you?”

“That’s perfect.”

“Oh, and congratulations on your engagement, by the way. The wife told me all about it when she got home from her knitting group.” He chuckled into the phone. “You know, bulls testicles are considered an aphrodisiac.”

“Thanks, but I have no plans to eat them.”

“You sure about that?”

The only thing I was sure of was being at the restaurant when this package was delivered—sure it would be the highlight of my week.